During the last two years of my teaching work at the Conservatory in Angoulême, at a request of the director Mr Jacques Pési, I undertook to compose a whole series of short works for the students’ exams. There were a lot of them, for various instruments, for different purposes - mainly, however, they served as exams of “autonomy” (consisting in individually prepared interpretation of a particular piece by a young soloist in two weeks) or as exams for chamber music, etc. Having in thought the fact that many of these compositions could arise as small concert pieces for young artists, I started going through these quickly written pieces. I selected Titane for double bass solo and Alla brève for piano to be published first.
Alla brève is mainly a brisk virtuoso show. It is full of joy and it should primarily provide the performer with pleasure of playing. Similarly to Titane for double bass solo, its free (however very precise!) notation allows various interpretations. The performer may be lost in contemplation on the rests, may use the pedal freely, may read the tempos and dynamics on their own. I dedicated this composition to Jacques Pési, who suggested that I wrote it and who, after a dozen of exam performances in Angoulême, was still fascinated with its openness to interpretation. [Elżbieta Sikora]
- ISMN: 9790274009397 (M274009397)
